Thermography is an image-forming process including a heating step and hence includes photothermography in which the image-forming process includes image-wise exposure and direct thermal processes in which the image-forming process includes an image-wise heating step. In direct thermal printing a visible image pattern is produced by image-wise heating of a recording material.
EP-A 0 713 133 discloses a thermal imaging system consisting of (i) a donor element comprising on a support a donor layer containing a binder and a thermotransferable reducing agent capable of reducing a silver source to metallic silver and (ii) a receiving element comprising on a support a receiving layer comprising a silver source, capable of being reduced by means of heat in the presence of a reducing agent, a binder and a stabiliser selected from the group consisting of benzotriazoles, heterocyclic mercaptanes, sulphinic acids, 1,3,4-triazo-indinolines, 1,3-dinitroaryl compounds, 1,2,3-triazoles, phthalic acids and phthalic acid derivatives. EP-A 0 713 133 discloses that preferred heterocyclic mercaptanes are mercaptotetrazoles corresponding to the following general formula (C): and discloses the following 1-(5-mercapto-1-tetrazolyl)-acetyl compounds: 
EP-A 0 901 040 discloses a substantially light-insensitive monosheet recording material comprising a support and a thermosensitive element containing a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, an organic reducing agent therefor in thermal working relationship therewith and a binder, characterized in that said thermosensitive element further contains an unsaturated carbocyclic or heterocyclic stabilizer compound substituted with a —SA group where A is hydrogen, a counterion to compensate the negative charge of the thiolate group or a group forming a symmetrical or an asymmetrical disulfide and said recording material is capable of producing prints with a numerical gradation value defined as the quotient of the fraction (2.5-0.1)/(E2.5-E0.1) greater than 2.3, where E2.5 is the energy in Joule applied in a dot area of 87 μm×87 μm of the imaging layer that produces an optical density value of 2.5, and E0.1 is the energy in Joule applied in a dot area of the imaging layer material that produces an optical density value of 0.1.
WO 94/16361 discloses a multilayer heat-sensitive material which comprises: a color-forming layer comprising: a color-forming amount of finely divided, solid colorless noble metal or iron salt of an organic acid distributed in a carrier composition; a color-developing amount of a cyclic or aromatic organic reducing agent, which at thermal copy and printing temperatures is capable of a color-forming reaction with the noble metal or iron salt; and an image-toning agent; characterized in that (a) the carrier composition comprises a substantially water-soluble polymeric carrier and a dispersing agent for the noble metal or iron salt and (b) the material comprises a protective overcoating layer for the color-forming layer. Furthermore, WO 94/16361 discloses that suitable antifoggants are well-known photographic anti-foggants such as mercaptobenzotriazole, chromate, oxalate, citrate, carbonate, benzotriazole (BZT), 5-methylbenzotriazole, 5,6-dimethylbenzotriazole, 5-bromobenzotriazole, 5-chlorobenzotriazole, 5-nitro-benzotriazole, 4-nitro-6-chlorobenzotriazole, 5-nitro-6-chlorobenzotriazole, 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,3,3a,7-tetraazaindene, benzimidazole, 2-methylbenzimidazole, 5-nitrobenzimidazole, 1-phenyl-5-mercaptotetrazole, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, 2-mercaptobenzoxazole, 2-mercaptothiazoline, 2-mercapto-4-methyl-6,6′-dimethylpyrimidine, 1-ethyl-2-mercapto-5-amino-1,3,4-triazole, 1-ethyl-5-mercapto-1,2,3,4-tetrazole, 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiodiazole, 2-mercapto-5-aminothiodiazole, dimethyldithiocarbamate, and diethyldithiocarbamate.
WO 96/10213 discloses a thermographic imaging element comprising a substrate having coated on at least one surface thereof a thermographic imaging system comprising at least one layer comprising light-insensitive organic silver salt; reducing agent for silver ion; binder; toner; and a dye which absorbs radiation in the wavelength range of 750-1100 nm, wherein said at least one layer comprising said light-insensitive organic silver salt forms an image density greater than about 1.0 when exposed to 0.10-2.0 joules/cm2 of said radiation in 0.20 to 200 microseconds. WO 96/10213 does not disclose a stabilizer against the influence of light, but mentions the optional incorporation of benzotriazole in the thermographic imaging element, but only exemplifies the incorporation of benzotriazole.
Substantially light-insensitive thermographic recording materials contain the imaging-forming components both before and after image formation and unwanted image-forming must be hindered both during storage prior to printing and in prints exposed to light on light-boxes e.g. during examination by radiologists. Furthermore, such stabilization must take place without adverse effects upon the image quality particularly the image tone. Thermographic printers are being introduced with ever higher throughputs, which require thermographic recording materials able to provide stabilization without an adverse effect on the image quality at such faster throughputs. There is therefore a need for stabilizers which fulfil these requirements.